In her Piece of Stuff this week (Episode 17), Ashley looked at a statue of a cocoa merchant from Aztec Mexico. Chocolate is of course a delicious, sweet treat and pick-me-up if you are feeling physically or emotionally a little down. But does chocolate have real superpowers besides being a yummy caffeine/sugar combo? Chocolate, specifically dark chocolate, seems to have been in and out of the media a lot in the last few years as it was being touted for having all kinds of health benefits. Maybe we are so jaded by too-good-to-be-true diet claims that it is easy dismiss those that show real data behind the hype. Chocolate, however, in its dark form of at least 85% cocoa solids does seem to have real benefits to your mood according to a slew of reports.

Johns Hopkins wants us to get over our chocolate related hang ups, and really who are we to argue. They report that 48% of women say that they have regular cravings for chocolate, which rise to 91% among young female college students. Many of us, however, try to resist those cravings and consider chocolate to be a forbidden food. It probably comes as no surprise that this self-denial impacts more women than men. There is, however, lots of scientific evidence that suggests we are not doing ourselves any favors by such self-imposed restrictions and moderate consumption of 85% cocoa solid chocolate may actually have lots of health benefits.

Dark chocolate contains powerful antioxidants such as flavanols and polyphenols. After eating dark chocolate participants in one trial reported feeling less stressed, and their feelings were backed up by science: they had measurably less of the stress hormone Cortisol in their systems. This Cortisol reducing action may be linked to other health benefits, because stress increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, blood clots and poor circulation. So chocolate not only decreases the likelihood of coronary heart disease but also of strokes.

Flavonol also increases blood flow to the brain, conferring greater reaction times, greater visual-spatial awareness, and stronger memory (sign me up!). The flavanols in dark chocolate can also balance the immune system and the reduced oxidative stress that occurs when cells must fight free radicals. One particular flavanol, called epicatechin, makes cells stronger and supports the way that the body uses insulin, which may help combat diabetes. These awesome epicatechin can also increase the production of nitric oxide in the blood, which helps boost circulation and athletic performance.

Chocolate doesn’t just make us feel better emotionally by making us feel better physically though, there is clear evidence that it enhances mood. A Korean study that included 48 patients, gave 18 of them 85% cocoa solid chocolate three times a day for three weeks, another got 70% cocoa solid chocolate, and another group got none. Those who received the 85% dark chocolate showed a reduced negative mood. This may be because chocolate contains polyphenols. Polyphenols are also found in other foods, like blueberries, cherries, black olives and hazelnuts. In this study those receiving 400mg of polyphenols a day from the 85% cocoa saw the greatest benefits.

The authors of this study believe that the positive impact of polyphenols may reach the brain through interaction with the gut microbiome.  There has been a lot of research recently that has shown that the gut microbiome can alter mood – a phenomenon called gut-brain axis. Chocolate, they argue has an impact on the gut microbiome because it is a prebiotic, in other words it is food for the microorganisms. This means that it can change the diversity and quantity of the make-up of the microbiome, including those species that are able to process polyphenols and turn them into mood boosters.

In a different study, seventy-two people were each given a rich chocolate drink, but the drink of one group contained 500mg of polyphenols, another group just 250g of polyphenols and finally another group had no polyphenols in their drink. Those that consumed 500mg of polyphenols a day reported positive effects, while those given 250g or none reported no significant mood effects. These researchers believe that cocoa polyphenols may produce an anti-anxiety effect by interacting with the GABA receptors in the brain.

So, long as your chocolate of choice is 85% coca solids (and not produced under conditions of forced labor as Ashley was talking about in our show this week), then ditch the guilt, take chocolate off the forbidden list and move it into the health food column (in moderation). In the end whether it is the flavanols or the polyphenols that are doing your body good, and whether its acting on your gut microbiome or talking nice to the GABAs in your brain, you can go ahead and feel good about eating chocolate because it has been proven eating chocolate does actually make you feel good. Of course, any menstruating person ever could have told you that – but now we have science!

“The benefits of having a healthy relationship with chocolate,” Johns Hopkins Medicine, accessed December 6, 2013. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-benefits-of-having-a-healthy-relationship-with-chocolate

Eric W. Dolan, “Cocoa polyphenols can increase calmness and contentedness,” Psypost, April 22, 2013 https://www.psypost.org/2013/04/cocoa-polyphenols-can-increase-calmness-and-contentedness-17555

Ji-Hee Shin et al, “Consumption of 85% cocoa dark chocolate improves mood in association with gut microbial changes in healthy adults: a randomized control trial,” Journal of Nutritional Biochemisty 19 (January, 2022) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955286321002746